Akane One-Half
by maidens-wanderlust
Summary: All Akane wanted to do was hone her skills as a martial artist, but what's a girl to do when she's cursed with the body of a boy when splashed with cold water? Reverse Role AU.
1. Chapter 1

Akane 1/2

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or anything related to it. I'm merely having fun with an AU inspired by lineith's drawings and notes on Tumblr.

Author's note: I'll write more at the end, but constructive criticism is more than welcome. At the very least, I hope it's a fun read.

OXOXO

Nodoka didn't mind the rain. With weeks of sunny weather, Nerima needed a little downpour from time to time. She sat on the porch with a cup of hot green tea in her hand. She smiled at the small tea stem that vertically stayed afloat.

A good omen.

The sounds of her husband and son sparring in the dojo barely reached her ears through the rain. They had been at it for hours. It gave her great joy that Ranma readily adopted the life of a martial artist. It turned him into a fine young man. When he was just a toddler, Genma tried to take him away for training but Nodoka gave him a look that could stun even the gods and literally fought him tooth and nail. He only relented when she promised to never interfere with Ranma's training. Martial artist or not, Ranma needed to grow up in a stable home.

"Mail for Saotome residence."

Nodoka noticed the mailman standing there with mail in his hand and an umbrella in another. She thanked him, accepted the delivery, and wished him well on his walk to the next house. She sat down on the porch and sorted through the mail. Bills. Bills. Scam. Coupons. Postcard.

"Hmm?"

She turned the postcard in her hand and her eyes lit up. It was a postcard from Soun Tendo. She never met the man, but she knew who he was. She rushed to the dojo and barged in.

"Genma, dear! We have a postcard from Soun Tendo!"

Genma had Ranma in a headlock, who pried at his arms. Genma looked up and scowled, "Can't you see we're still training?!"

"Ha!" Ranma used his father's distraction to his advantage, got out of his grip, and flipped him over on his back, twisting his arm behind him.

"This doesn't count!" Genma cried out. "Your mother distracted me!"

"Distractions can happen at any moment," Ranma said, smirking. "You have to be prepared for anything. Didn't you say that, Pops?"

"Heh, so you do listen, boy. Let me go; I want to see this postcard."

Ranma let go of Genma. Genma stretched his arms before reaching for the postcard.

"It's been awhile since you heard from him, is it not?" Nodoka said, handing it over.

"Too long," Genma agreed. He skimmed over the message and grinned. "It seems he's on his way here with his daughters. Judging by the date and address, they could arrive any day."

"Some old friend of yours, Pops?" Ranma asked. He stood next to Genma with his hands folded behind the back of his head.

"A lifelong friend," Genma said. "Nodoka, I think we should tell Ranma..."

Ranma blinked. "Tell me what?"

OXOXO

Down a wet road in an unknown neighborhood, a tall teenaged boy of muscular stature and long blue hair tied back in a ponytail ran with his baggage in one hand as his father, a panda, and two older sisters chased after him. People wisely got out of the way.

"There's no way I'm going!" he screeched. In mid stride, he grabbed a rock the size of his fist, flipped around, and aimed it at the panda's forehead. Total knock out. "Trying to marry me off to a boy I've never even met! You're unbelievable!"

"Akane, please!" Kasumi cried out. "Running away won't solve anything!"

"No, sis!" Akane said. "I don't have time for this! Father deserves his fate, but I'm going back to China!"

"You know you can't do that right now," Nabiki said. She carried half of the panda on her back and caught up with Kasumi and Akane, the latter still huffing from running and screaming. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten about Shampoo."

"Of course I didn't!" Akane shot back. "But what does going to their house have to do with her?!"

"It's where we can hide," Kasumi said. She tugged at Akane's sleeve. "It's best we stay with them until this blows over."

Akane lowered his head. Kasumi was right; they couldn't afford to go back to China just yet, but he couldn't stay like this either. He sighed. "I'm sorry, sis." He put down the baggage. "You three can go ahead to the Saotomes. I think I can handle Shampoo if I run into her ag-"

The panda had sprung back to life and nailed Akane in the head with a wooden sign, tears freely flowing down his face.

"Daddy..."

"Who knew you could be so cruel?" Nabiki said.

With watery eyes, he slung his child over his shoulder and held up a sign that said, _I did what I must. Now let's go._

OXOXO

"Fiancée?!" Ranma exclaimed.

Nodoka had taken him and Genma out of the dojo and dropped the news in the middle of making dinner; he was helping her set the table while Genma waited outside for the possibility of the Tendos showing up.

"Uh huh!" Nodoka said, seemingly oblivious to Ranma's discomfort. "You've had a fiancée since the day you two were born!"

"B-but...why are you telling me this now?" Ranma asked. He growled in the direction of the front door. _Damn you, Pops! You knew if you had told me, I would have throttled you!_

"Because they're going to stay with us indefinitely," Nodoka said. "With Mr. Tendo finally staying still for the time being, it'll be an opportunity for you to get to know each other."

"But why didn't she and I have a say in this?" Ranma asked. "We might not even like each other..."

"Oh, I doubt that, dear," Nodoka said. She placed the hot pot of chicken curry down and patted his cheek. "Who wouldn't like a strong, handsome young man such as yourself?" She started working on the salad.

Ranma already knew he could land a wife if he wanted to. The girls swarming him everyday at school told him as much. Not that that mattered much to him. While it was nice to know he was attractive, he could do without the constant attention. He didn't need a fiancée on top of this. Still, for his mother's sake, he decided to keep quiet.

"Your father told me all the stories of his travels with Mr. Tendo," Nodoka said, working on the salad. "The way he talks about him, he sounds like a good man. I'm sure the same is true about Akane."

"Akane, huh."

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Ranma cringed at the sound of his father screaming and Nodoka almost dropped the salad bowl.

"Dear?!" Nodoka called out. She hastily put down the bowl and ran into the hallway with Ranma following suit.

Genma came from around the corner, practically running on all fours. What followed behind him had Nodoka and Ranma scrambling after him until they cowered at the wall with Ranma holding a protective arm over Nodoka. A giant panda came their way with a blue-haired boy over its shoulder followed by two other girls running after them.

"What's the big idea?! Put me down!" the boy screamed, pounding at its shoulder. "You're in somebody else's house!"

The panda ignored his pleas and set him down before Ranma and his parents. The other two girls caught up with them, huffing and hands on the knees.

"We're terribly sorry about this," the older girl with the side ponytail said.

"We...we're the Tendos," the other girl huffed.

"Oh my," Nodoka said. She gently pushed Ranma's arm down. She dusted her kimono off and approached the four with her hands clasped in front of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Which one of you is Akane Tendo?"

The boy with the long hair blushed and looked down, mumbling under his breath, "I...I am, ma'am...sorry about this..."

This boy is supposed to be Akane? His fiancée?

"Uh, Pops?" Ranma said. He turned his head toward his father with one eye twitching. "Can we talk in the dojo for a minute?"

Before Genma could properly answer, Ranma had him by his wrist and dragged him outside until they were in the dojo.

"Daughter, huh?"

"There's no mistake!" Genma exclaimed, "Tendo said he had three daughters and Akane would be the one you marry! He doesn't have a reason to lie!"

"Well, something got lost in translation!" Ranma said. "And where's your friend, anyway? Those three are traveling with a panda!"

"The hell I know, boy!" Genma said. "Your guess is as good as mine!"

Ranma sighed and folded his arms. "Either way, they're our guests and Mother will kill us if we're rude to them. Let's go back and eat."

"And afterwards, we ask the girls and the boy for an explanation."

"Fair enough."

"Um, excuse me?"

Ranma and Genma turned. Akane stood at the dojo entrance, holding his hands in front of him. He could barely meet their eyes.

"I don't know where to begin," he started, "but I-"

"Don't sweat it," Ranma said. He approached Akane and gave him a strong pat on the shoulder. "You guys came a long way, right? It's more important everyone settles down and eat. We can talk later."

Akane curled his lips but he let out a sigh. "Okay..."

The three walked back to the house.

"I'm Ranma, by the way," he said. He offered a hand for Akane to shake. "Maybe we can be friends?"

Akane studied Ranma before accepting his hand. His grip was firm, but gentle. "Sure."

Back at the house, Genma and Nodoka asked the three Tendo children questions about their travels. Kasumi did most of the talking while Nabiki commented from time to time. Akane mostly ate in silence. In turn, that made Ranma feel a bit uneasy. Even the panda looked more comfortable than Akane.

"Hey, Akane, you study kenpo, yeah?"

"Yes, what about it?" Akane asked. He straightened his sitting posture and looked more stiff than ever.

"Do you want to spar?"

Akane's shoulders eased and a genuine smile graced his face. He nodded.

"That's a wonderful idea, Ranma," Nodoka said.

"You're good," Nabiki said. She reached for a rice cracker. "Sparring is the number one way to get Akane to loosen up."

Akane rose to his feet, still wearing that grin. "Can we spar now?"

His excitement was almost contagious. Ranma grinned back. "Of course."

OXOXO

Ranma studied Akane as they both got into their horse stance. It was clear from their posture alone that they studied the same arts. This would be interesting.

"I know we're just sparring," Akane said, "but don't hold back. I can't stand it when people go easy on me."

Ranma raised an eyebrow. Why would anyone go easy on him? He was a boy. A tall and muscular one at that; he even had a few centimeters on Ranma himself! He wasn't someone to take lightly. However, the fire in Akane's eyes told Ranma that he was serious.

"I won't," Ranma said. "I'm ready when you are."

"Good."

Akane attacked first. Ranma easily dodged him and watched Akane's movements. It was clear Akane trained for a good portion of his life. His aim was precise and, judging from the wind that accompanied his attacks, he was strong to boot. But that was also the problem. While he was strong, he wasn't fast enough. Then again, speed was one of Ranma's specialties so maybe it wasn't a fair comparison.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hold back!" Akane said. He aimed another punch. "What are you waiting for?!"

Ranma jumped over Akane, landed behind him, and poked his back. Akane turned his head, frowning. Ranma only smiled. "You're good! But you need to do something about that speed."

Akane dropped his stance and rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "I get that a lot."

Ranma tapped Akane's arm. "You're just as strong as I am, but if you get faster, you'll be close to my level."

The fire was back in his eyes. He sported a devious smirk. "Close?"

Ranma jumped back and got into position, wearing the biggest smile on his face. "What? You wanna rematch?"

"You're on!"

OXOXO

The panda held up a sign asking for a hot kettle of water and Nodoka came back with the boiled water. The boys had come back from sparring in the dojo with Ranma offering the bathroom to Akane first. Nodoka smiled at the exchange. Even though Akane wasn't the future daughter-in-law that she thought she would get, she found herself growing fond of him. Something about that shy but passionate spirit. It reminded her of her own youth. She returned to the living room with the hot kettle and the panda held up another sign thanking her.

"You're an unusual panda," Nodoka said.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Nabiki said, ignoring Kasumi's soft frown.

"What do you mean, Nabiki?" Genma asked, leaning forward and resting his elbow on the table.

Nabiki simply pointed to the panda. It grabbed the kettle, blew on the water a few times, and poured it over itself. Genma's mouth hung open. Nodoka covered her own. What once was a panda turned into a man with a long hair, tan complexion, and moustache. Though his face was stone hard, tears gushed down his cheeks.

Nodoka lost her voice. She turned to her husband for support, but he was just as dumbfounded, tears matching that of this man before them.

"Where to begin," Nabiki said. One would have to be deaf to miss the amusement in her voice.

OXOXO

Akane tried pouring cold water and, naturally, it was uncomfortable and would do nothing to properly clean his body. He had no choice but to take a warm bath. As the tub filled up, he gingerly undid his bow and used it to tie his hair into a bun. Some wisps fell out but as long as it wasn't all the way down his back, it was no big deal. He turned the water off and sat in the tub.

His long, muscular legs gave way for more shorter, feminine legs that still had muscles. The same happened to his arms. His chest filled out and he no longer had anything hanging between his legs.

She was back to normal.

She hugged her legs to her body and rested her cheek on her knees. After a few seconds of euphoria, she began washing herself. She lost track of time as she replayed the sparring matches with Ranma in her head. Save for her escapade with Shampoo, it had been a while since she fought someone seriously. He even took time to give her pointers and give credit where due. The memory put a smile on her face.

 _But it's only because he thinks I'm a boy,_ she thought, said smile quickly dropping.

She considered getting out and splashing herself with cold water. For a second it sounded like a good idea, but another truth remained: they would find out sooner or later. _Might as well get it over with. But how to go about it..._

She stood up and reached for the nearby towel.

"Hey, Akane! You've been in there a while. Are you o-"

Akane froze. Ranma stood at the door in nothing but a towel over his waist. She didn't know how long they stood there looking at each other, but his eyes slowly diverted to her chest and bottom half. That was enough to snap her out of her own daze. She screamed at the top of her lungs and reached for the closest objects to throw at him. She didn't care what it was as long as it made him leave. Letting out a startled scream of his own, he dodged the objects and slammed the door behind him. She sunk into the bath, hiding her face.

 _What do I do now?!_

OXOXO

 _What the hell just happened?!_

Ranma didn't stop until he was back in his room. The sound of the bucket and other things that girl threw at him rung in his ears along with his own rapidly beating heart. Akane went in there. He _saw_ him go in there! So who was she?! Shock turned into annoyance and annoyance turned into indignance. Who was she to kick him out of his own bathroom?! He rushed into his clothing. He was going to get to the bottom of this and give this stranger a piece of his mind.

He opened the door, still seeing red, but his mother was just about to knock. She had a troubled look on her face and his anger quickly gave way to concern. "What's wrong, Mother?"

She took his hand and led him downstairs.

The fact that she didn't answer his question made him even more worried. Just what was going on?

"Mother...there was a girl-"

"I know."

"...What?"

"I know, dear," Nodoka said. She kept her gaze forward. "It looks like it's going to be a long night."

And he found out why. Genma, Kasumi, and Nabiki were still in the living room, but there was a man with them now.

And the girl he walked in on at the bathroom. She was wearing the same clothes Akane had on before entering the bathroom.

Kasumi rubbed the girl's back as she stared at the table. Her face red.

"Ranma," Nodoka said, "this is-"

"Akane Tendo," the girl said. She turned her gaze toward Ranma, but she refused to make eye contact. "I'm sorry about this."

Akane Tendo? But he already met Akane and he was a guy! Not this short girl with no figure! This couldn't be right.

"I..if you're Akane," Ranma said, pointing at her, "then who were we eating dinner with? And who was I sparring with earlier?!"

"Good question, Ranma," Nabiki said in a chipper tone. "It'll be better to demonstrate." She grabbed Akane by the collar, dragging her to the door. Akane protested and grabbed at Nabiki's hand, but Nabiki ignored her struggles. She opened the door and flung Akane into the pond.

"Nabiki..." Kasumi said, holding her fingers over her mouth.

Akane emerged from the water back into the body of the boy that Ranma had started to consider a friend.

"You didn't have to fling me into the pond!" Akane shouted. "I just bathed!"

"Clearly your fiancé wasn't going to get it until he saw it with his own eyes," Nabiki said, leaning against the door with her arms folded and one leg tucked behind the other. "All there's left now is to tell them what happened."

Ranma had almost forgotten about that stupid engagement and it was back in his face. The person his parents wanted him to marry was a girl who changed into a boy using water. And if Akane really was a girl, then that meant-"

"You're the panda?" he asked, directly addressing the tan man. "Soun Tendo?"

The man confirmed Ranma's suspicion by bowing his head and letting loose the waterworks. "It's a long story; I still haven't found the courage to explain!"

"We have all night, Tendo," Genma said. His voice shook with sadness for his friend. "Take your time."

Akane made her way back to the table and squeezed the water out of her hair. Nodoka left the room and came back with a large towel for her. Akane accepted it with a shy but somewhat irritable thanks.

"If Daddy can't tell the story, then I will," Kasumi said. "Let's see...it was his idea to travel to China..."

OXOXO

 _Akane let out a loud groan as she and her family dropped their baggage on the ground. They finally arrived at Jusenkyo. Soun had gotten the idea that training here would help her improve her balance. The guide wasn't keen on the idea._

 _"Few people train here," he said. "Springs have much tragic history."_

 _"So I've heard, sir," Soun said, patting the man on the back. "But nothing to fear! We're martial artists! And my dear daughter Akane has agreed to train here. We'll be fine."_

 _"I not sure..."_

 _"I'm ready when you are, Father!" Akane said. She tightened the belt around her gi and did her pre-exercise stretches._

 _"Be careful, Akane," Kasumi said, taking a seat next to Nabiki in front of their stuff._

 _Soon Soun and Akane were standing on top of the bamboo sticks that poked out of the springs. Akane struggled at first to get her balance, but once she found her footing, she was ready to go._

 _"Remember not to hold back, Father!" Akane said. "I can't get better if you go easy on me!"_

 _"As your father I will give everything I got!" His eyes watered. "Even if it hurts me!"_

 _Akane chuckled. Her father had a flair for the dramatics but she knew it came from a place of love. They all did. "Good! Now let's fight!"_

 _She jumped from bamboo to bamboo to reach him and he blocked all of her attacks, occasionally firing back with some of his own. Great. It meant he was taking this seriously. After dodging another attack, she missed her footing and fell into the spring. It alarmed her how deep the water was and she accidentally let the water come crashing into her lungs. Large hands grabbed her around her waist and pulled her up to the surface._

 _She coughed out most of the water and struggled to get the rest of the water out of her nose._

 _"Akane?! Are you okay?!"_

 _"I'm fine, Father! Thanks for-" She paused. Why did her voice sound so deep? And why did she feel so different?_

 _"Just as I feared!" the guide yelled. "Tragic story behind that spring! 1,500 years ago boy drowned in spring. Now everyone who fall in that spring turn into boy when splashed cold water! Bad luck you have!"_

 _He was lying. He had to be lying! Akane patted her chest. Her face paled. Her breasts were gone! Instead she had a sculpted chest. She checked other places of her body that made everyone around her blush. When it dawned on her that the guide was telling the truth, she let out the loudest scream and ran around in a panic._

 _"Change me back! Change me back! CHANGE ME BACK!"_

 _"Akane! You have to calm down!" Soun exclaimed. "We'll figure this out!"_

 _She stopped in her tracks. He wasn't any different, but it made sense. Technically he was cursed, but because he was already a man, the curse did nothing to him. This made her blood boil. Sure, she agreed to go to this spring, but he was the one with all of the information. Who was he to tell her to calm down?!_

 _"This is all your fault!" she cried out. In her fit of despair and rage, she flung her own father over her shoulder as far as she could. He came back out as a panda._

 _"1,000 years ago panda drown in that spring," the guide said. "Very unfortunate..."_

 _"Oh my," Kasumi said. She stood up. "I do believe you went too far, Akane..."_

 _Akane ignored her and chased after their father. If she couldn't get cured right away, then neither could he._

 _"Things are going to get interesting in China," Nabiki said with a smirk._

OXOXO

"And this led to that and we found our way back here," Kasumi finished. She folded her hands on her lap. "We wish we had time to fix this before coming here, but we've had complications. We're currently hiding from someone but since Akane's been a guy, I believe we've lost them for the time being."

"Anything we should worry about?" Genma asked. Sweat glistened down his face at the story.

"It's more Akane's problem than anything," Kasumi said tentatively. "But you yourselves are not in any danger. Just her."

"So we're in potentially in danger by proxy is what you're saying," Ranma said.

"Ranma," Nodoka said sharply. She smiled at the three sisters. "You're still more than welcome to stay here. After all, the engagement is still valid, yes?"

"If you will still take my daughter as your own, of course!" Soun said. "If you look past this, she's still fit to be Ranma's wife!"

"Hey! I'm not marrying anyone!" Akane exclaimed. "Especially not this pervert over here!"

Ranma's eye twitched. "And who are you calling a pervert?!"

"You! Staring me up and down!"

"I was in shock!" Ranma paused. "Excuse me for not knowing you can change sexes! And you had some nerve! Throwing stuff at me like I was the intruder in my own home!"

Akane opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She settled for huffing and turning her back to him. "Whatever. I felt cheap having someone stare at me like a freak." She gave him a sideway glare. "Was it your first time seeing a female body?" She stood up, faced him again, and patted her chest. "Thanks to being like this for weeks, I'm more familiar with the male body than I care to be, so I don't see it as a big deal anymore. Besides, you see one naked body, you've seen them all."

Ranma snorted. "If that's the case, then I'm not missing out on much."

"Ranma!" Nodoka scolded.

Akane stiffened. Ranma could practically smell the battle aura rolling off of her. Everyone, save for the Saotomes, moved away from the table. Akane had this tight smile on her face.

"Is that so?"

The next thing Ranma knew, she had flipped the table over and knocked his lights out.

OXOXO

Ranma found that he was in his room lying in his bed. His head pounded like crazy. That Akane...who thought she could be faster and stronger when pissed off? He held his head and sat up. He didn't even realize his mother was sitting next to him.

"You know," she said, "it took me a bit to warm up to your father when we were young."

"Did he knock you out with a table?" Ranma retorted.

She let out a hearty chuckle. "No, but just like you, he had a mouth."

Dear gods; she compared him to his father. He was going to have to do something about that habit then.

"I believe that deep down she's really a sweet girl," Nodoka said. She gently pressed a wet towel against his temple. "She's just going through a rough time right now and there was no delicate way to bring these issues to light."

"It's true," Kasumi said. She stood at the door and bowed. "Please don't think badly of Akane, Ranma. Auntie's right. She is a sweet girl; she just also has a violent temper."

"That's not helping her case, sis," Nabiki said, coming from behind Kasumi. She shrugged and sported a small, devious smile. "But judging from your little spat with Akane, you don't have much appreciation for girls, right? Since Akane's half a boy, marrying her shouldn't be a problem for you."

Nabiki, Ranma decided, was already a handful.

"Sorry to disappoint you all," Ranma said. He gazed at his mother earnestly and took her hand. "Mother, I love you, but I have no intention of marrying that macho chick."

"This _macho chick_ came up to apologize for earlier but I guess it's not necessary."

Akane, a girl again, took up the rest of the space at the next door, glowering at Ranma with her arms folded. "But I'm glad we're on the same page about this engagement. I don't have time for fiancés, let alone a jerk like you!" She stuck her tongue out at him and marched off.

Ranma could've sworn he heard her mutter, "So much for being friends."

Kasumi apologized again on Akane's behalf. Nodoka laughed it off.

"Really, it's okay, Kasumi," Nodoka said. "The tea predicted good luck. I think it means the beginning of a new, interesting chapter. These two will be fine; give them time."

 _That's what you think_ , Ranma thought. He ignored the rest of the conversation and lied down. It would be a cold day in hell before he even thought of marrying that...uncute girl.

OXOXO

"If I didn't know any better, Akane," Soun said, "I'd say you care what he thought." He and Genma stood watch in the dojo as she took her stress out on cement blocks.

"Like hell!" Akane said. She broke some more cement blocks.

Genma laughed and patted Soun's shoulder. "Let her be, Tendo. It's good that she's spirited! That makes for a good wife. Just give her and Ranma time; they'll come around." He took Soun away to leave Akane alone with her routine. "Make yourself at home, Akane; this will be your dojo someday, too."

Akane stacked more cement to break.

 _Thank you for your kindness, Uncle_ , Akane thought. She broke through the cement clean. _But I'll die before I marry your son!_

Needless to say, this engagement was off to a rocky start.

OXOXO

Author's Note: I have no idea if this will stay a oneshot or if I'll actually continue it as a full on AU story. I mean, going off of lineith's notes, there's a lot to work with for the Shampoo introduction arc and Mousse introduction arc. I even know how I'd write the end of the Herb arc and finale if I ever got that far. But, again, I don't know whether I will or not. I'd love to, though because the ideas are fun and I haven't had this much fun writing fanfiction in months.

I'm literally working with a puzzle here trying to figure out how to write the reversed roles while keeping Ranma and Akane's personalities intact (e.g. Ranma growing up in a stable home and how that will affect his abilities as a martial artist as well as his relationship with Genma and Akane's overall development as the main protagonist). All in all, this is challenging in the best way.

ANYWAY, if you made it to the bottom, I hope it was worth your time. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Akane One-Half

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or anything related to it. I'm merely having fun with an AU inspired by lineith's drawings and notes on Tumblr.

Author's Note: I've actually had the next three chapters written for a long time now. Yikes. This is what happens when 1) you're trying to juggle too many things at once in real life and 2) you did more outlining for a future arc than the current one. Yep, those are my explanations. I apologize to anyone who was interested in this story continuing. I do plan on finishing this story even if it makes years from now; it's too much like a puzzle for me to abandon.

So, here are the next three chapters. I've already written a first draft of the arc following this update but I gotta work out the kinks.

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome and I hope you enjoy the following chapters.

OXOXO

Did they all think she was stupid? Did they honestly think she wouldn't have noticed they left space for her and Ranma to sit together? It was too early in the morning for this.

"Good morning, everyone," Akane said through clenched teeth. She took a seat next to Kasumi.

"Good morning, Akane," Nodoka said with a smile. "Now that you're awake I can get your breakfast."

She had such a sweet, warm voice that Akane couldn't stay annoyed with her for long. "Thank you, Auntie."

"Of course, dear."

As soon as Nodoka left the room, Akane glared at the rest of the party. Soun had a few sweat beads on his face but he opted for clearing his throat and straightening out his back.

"Now that you're here, I have something to discuss with you and Nabiki," he said. "Since we're staying here for the time being, I took time out to register you two for school. You start school today."

Nabiki shrugged. "I could stand to socialize with people again. How about you, Akane?"

Akane twirled a strand of hair around her finger in thought. "I thought we were laying low. Wouldn't going to school put us at risk?"

Soun paused. "Perhaps, but your education is still important. See, Kasumi and I found jobs and neither one of us can help you with your studies."

"It's true," Kasumi said. "We're going to work under Dr. Tofu as his assistants. He's supposed to be the best doctor in Nerima."

Akane's heart sunk a little. She didn't hate school. She was a diligent student before Soun deemed her old enough to continue her training abroad. But she also had fun learning under Kasumi. With Nabiki as a classmate, there were few dull moments. She doubted school would be as fun, but she could see it in Kasumi's face. The way her eyes sparkled and the unrestrained grin. She was excited to start a job in the medical field, even if it was just being an assistant. It was step toward her getting experience. She wouldn't ruin that for her by pouting, so she smiled at her and said, "I'm happy for you, sis."

"Thank you, Akane."

Nodoka returned with Akane's plate and gave it to her before sitting down to enjoy her own cup of orange juice.

"So, are you okay with going back to school?" Soun asked.

Did she really have a choice? "Yes."

"That's my girl."

"Oh, hell."

Akane bristled. She had almost forgotten what the family did until she looked up. Ranma eyed the empty space next to her with disdain, eye twitching and all. Akane growled at him but said nothing. She started on her meal. She needed to go a day without beating the crap out of him. She promised Kasumi last night she would tone it down.

"I don't want to hear it, Ranma," Genma said with a glare. "It's too early for you to start something."

"Wouldn't be a problem if you guys didn't pull stunts like this!"

"Watch yourself!"

"Men!" Nodoka shouted. Once they settled down in their respective spots, Nodoka turned to Ranma. "Ranma, sweetheart, Akane and Nabiki are going to school starting today. They'll need you to escort them until they're familiar with the area. Can you do that for me?"

Akane caught Ranma briefly glaring in her direction before bowing to Nodoka. "Of course, Mother."

She finished her food in silence.

OXOXO

"Can you two lighten up?" Nabiki said. Ranma walked on top of the fence while she and Akane kept to the ground. "You're acting like you received the death penalty."

"I might as well have," Akane said with a huff. "When I learn the routes, I never want to walk with him again."

"You must've read my mind," Ranma said. "I have enough to deal with at school; the last thing I need is a violent tomboy stuck to my hip."

Akane kicked the fence but it didn't deter his balance. He stuck his tongue out at her and started trotting faster. She picked up speed. "Get back here!"

Nabiki sighed and followed them both. "So what's this trouble you're alluding to, Ranma?"

"Girls."

"What about them?"

"You'll see. It's best you stay away from me when we get to the gates. It could get ugly." He went from sprinting to a full on run.

Akane rolled her eyes but found herself slowing down. Nabiki, however, grabbed her wrist and dragged her along. Akane had to pick up speed to keep from tripping. "Let go!"

"Aw, come on. Aren't you a little curious to what he's talking about?"

"I couldn't care less!"

"Don't be such a grump, Akane. You should learn more about your fiancé."

Akane continued to protest until the school, Furinkan High according to Nodoka, came into view. Judging by Ranma's slowing down, this was the place. At first she thought nothing of the school.

Until she saw the crowd of girls at the open gate.

There were at least twenty girls with different weapons in their hands. Some clearly belonged to the volleyball team, some softball, and others made due with items such as batons, lacrosse sticks, and brooms. They all had such serious expressions on their faces.

 _What kind of school is this?!_ Akane thought.

Nabiki stopped meters behind Ranma and whistled. "Talk about a fan club."

"I think they're pissed off, Nabiki."

"No, she's right," Ranma said. "They're suitors."

It didn't go over Akane's head that there was a hint of pride in his voice. Typical that his ego would outweigh his supposed annoyance. Boys.

"Good morning, ladies," Ranma said, waving at the girls. They greeted him back. He let down his suitcase. "So, are we going to give it a rest today and head straight to class?"

"Never, Saotome!" cried the girl at the front. She held dual wooden swords and got into a horse stance. "Today one of us will defeat you and make you ours! Prepare yourself!"

Ranma smirked and got into a horse stance. "Fat chance, Kiko!"

"Ladies, attack!"

The girls let out a battle cry and charged toward Ranma. Akane pulled Nabiki away from Ranma and dodged incoming girls. She looked back. Ranma stayed on the defense; he dodged their attacks but he never struck back. The worst he did was let a girl miss him and crash into another opponent. He almost looked bored. It burned her up.

"Daaaaaamn," Nabiki said. "These girls are wil-woah! Watch it!"

A girl had swung a bat in Nabiki's direction. She swung again and Akane jumped between the two and caught the bat in her bare hands. She glared at the girl. "You got a problem?!"

"You two are fighting for Saotome's heart, aren't you?! That means we fight!"

"Oh, get real!" Akane said. She yanked the bat out of her hands with ease and pointed it in Ranma's direction. "You can have that jerk!"

"Heads up, Kiko!" Ranma shouted, pointing in the sky.

All girls within hearing range, including Kiko, looked up. It was a ball and it hit Kiko's back. Upon impact, it burst, emitting blue dust. Within seconds, Kiko's eyes drooped and she fell to the ground, fast asleep.

"Missed again!" cried the girl who threw the ball.

"And what are you two still doing out here?! Get to class!"

Akane realized Ranma was yelling at them. She shook the bat in his direction. "One of your crazy fangirls attacked us, so excuse us for defending ourselves!"

"Whatever! Just get out of here before it's too la-"

"Heads up, Akane," Nabiki said as she shoved her toward the door, forcing her to drop the bat.

Akane immediately saw why. A small black ball landed on the ground in the middle of the chaos. Even Ranma barely made it out before the ball burst into purple smoke. The girls' movements became sluggish and it wasn't long before they collapsed on each other, limbs twitching. A haughty, obnoxious laugh erupted from above.

Akane, Nabiki, and Ranma turned their gaze to the second floor. A girl wearing a side ponytail and green leotard leaned out of the window. She laughed again as she leapt and landed gracefully to the ground.

"Good morning to you, Ranma darling," she said. She produced a black rose and tossed it to him.

Ranma caught it. "Morning, Kodachi."

Kodachi's cheeks burned at him calling her by her name. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Nabiki and Akane. "It appears I have missed a few stragglers."

Akane placed herself in front of Nabiki. "We're on our way to class, so don't mind us. Continue whatever this thing is with Ranma."

"Ranma? You're awfully forward," Kodachi said. Akane could almost taste the poison in her voice. "What is your name?"

"Akane Tendo," Akane said. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have class to get to. Come on, Nabiki. Let's go." She turned Nabiki around and they started for the door until a black rose flew past them and pierced the door. Akane stopped and felt her face. She pulled her hand away and there was a little bit of blood on her fingers. That broad.

"Go without me, Nabiki."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Nabiki jogged into the building while Akane faced Kodachi.

"Kodachi, don't," Ranma said. "She's not one of them."

"But she addressed you by name," Kodachi said. "Tell me, Tendo, what's your relationship with my dear Ranma?"

"There's no relationship," Akane said. She narrowed her eyes. "Why? You want to fight?"

Ranma groaned and raced over to Akane, daring to turn her around. "Not on the first day, Akane. Just get to class."

Akane slapped his hand away. "Get off of me!"

"I'm trying to HELP you, you fool!"

"I don't need it!"

A pink ribbon wrapped around Akane's wrist and tugged her toward Kodachi. She regained her balance and growled at Kodachi, who held the other end of the ribbon with a murderous look in her eyes. "First you call him by name and now you dare lay a hand on him? I won't have it, Tendo! Fight me!"

School hadn't even started and Akane was already over this day. "Fine! You asked for it!"

"Get in the building!"

Akane ignored him. Kodachi came at her with a spiked baton. Akane grabbed enough of the ribbon, held it up in front of her, and dodged in time for Kodachi's baton to rip through, setting Akane free from her clutches. Akane put distance between herself and Kodachi and studied her movements. She was dangerous, but she wasn't strong. Nor did her speed exceed Akane's. She was more cunning than anything. Akane could deal with cunning. She charged at Kodachi and prepared to aim for her stomach.

Thunder cracked in the sky and Akane stopped mid attack. She looked up and her eyes augmented. When did the sky did so dark?!

"An opening!"

Akane dodged in time and jumped high enough to bounce off of Kodachi's head. "I don't have time for this! We'll fight later!"

Kodachi let out a scream. Akane didn't care; she had to get inside before the rain hit her. A ribbon caught her ankle and tripped her. Okay. At first she was annoyed; now she was pissed. She spat the dirt out of her mouth, tore the ribbon off her leg and engaged her oppoment. Clearly, Kodachi wasn't going to leave her alone until one of them went down. Fine. She would just have to knock her out. She charged.

"You dummy!" Ranma bellowed.

Before Akane could land a hit, rain poured down. She quickly changed tactic. She jumped in the air and slammed her fists against the top of Kodachi's head. Kodachi sagged to the ground. Akane left her there. Her strides grew and her body stretched until she turned completely into a boy. She cursed herself for getting caught up in this stupid fight. She cursed Kodachi for being so persistent. Most of all, she cursed the heavens for letting it rain out of nowhere.

OXOXO

Ranma didn't know why he took time to fetch some hot water but he did and he berated himself for getting involved. He told her several times to just go inside, but no, she had to get caught up in the morning fights. And she had the nerve to bite at him when he tried to help her! He almost had a mind to say to hell with it and go to class. She could take care of herself.

But he made his way into the gym storage room and behold, she sat against the wall, hugging her knees. She wore a pout and, even as a guy, she almost looked cute. Ranma shook the thought away and approached her. "You really are stupid, you know that?" He placed the kettle by her feet. "Plain stupid."

Akane grabbed the kettle. "I was going to thank you, but you can rot in hell instead."

"Why, you-"

"And don't think I was fighting her over you." She poured the water over her body and she began to shrink back to her normal size. "She got on my nerves is all."

"I know that," Ranma said with a huff. "I could've handled her."

The school bell rung.

"Hmph." She found a tattered tarp and wrapped it over her head and body. "First day of school in years and I'm late."

"So am I," he said. "This is all your fault."

"Die."

OXOXO

Kodachi couldn't pay attention to the lecture. She chewed on her handkerchief. That Akane Tendo! How dare she ditch their duel over some rain! And her head still hurt from the last attack! Who knew those small hands held so much power? She couldn't underestimate that girl, but it was far from over. It was clear to her that Akane had some kind of acquaintance with Ranma but this was her first time ever seeing her in Nerima. Just who was she to Ranma?! Was she going to take him away from her?!

She stood up and shouted, "Akane Tendo! I'll get you before the day is up!"

"Miss Kuno!"

Kodachi remembered that she was in the middle of class. She didn't wait for the homeroom teacher to say what he had to say. She grabbed two buckets full of water and stood outside the room.

The idea of Akane being so close to her Ranma burned her up. Tears welled and she gritted her teeth. That girl would not be allowed to leave in one piece.

OXOXO

Nabiki insisted on looking for the bathroom herself, much to the protest of the class representative. She promised she wouldn't be gone long; she was good at retracing her steps. But she didn't need to go to the bathroom; she needed to snoop. See the aftermath of the battle. She peered out the window of the third floor and whistled. A few girls were crawling to the entrance. "What kind of poison did she use?"

She ventured further and, speak of the devil, Kodachi was standing in the hallway with two buckets and tears running down her face. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Yo."

Kodachi glowered at the sight of Nabiki. "You! You were with Akane Tendo! What are you to her and what's her business with my Ranma?!"

Nabiki clicked her tongue. "That's classified information, but I'm willing to spill for, say, 6,000 yen?"

Kodachi gave her 10,000 yen.

"Allow me to start from the beginning."

OXOXO

To Akane's surprise, Hinako Ninomiya, the homeroom teacher, didn't scold her or Ranma for coming to class late. Instead she introduced Akane to the class.

"Miss Tendo is going to be your classmate," Hinako said. "I want you all to make her feel welcome and make great memories. Is that clear?"

The class murmured positively. Akane could've sworn she heard a few boys call her cute. Flattering, but uncomfortable. She was prepared to take a seat at the empty desk in the middle but Hinako placed a firm hand on Akane's shoulder.

"With that said: Akane?" She wore a tight, almost dangerous smile.

"Y-yes, ma'am?"

"Ranma?"

Ranma's face turned red. He straightened in his seat. "Yeah?"

Hinako's eyes glazed over with ice and her voice dripped venom with each word, "Stand in the hallway."

With that look and tone, she didn't have to tell them twice. They held their own buckets of water and stood in the hallway in silence. Out of the corners of her eyes, Akane noticed that he still had a faint blush to his cheeks. She scoffed.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said. "I just thought you were Kodachi's boyfriend with the way she was acting, but it seems like you're a cake eater instead. I misjudged you."

"You see if I ever try helping you again!"

 _He's not denying it,_ Akane thought. She looked away. "I told you I didn't need your help."

"You really are a piece of work, you stubborn, figureless mule."

Akane tightened her grip on her buckets. She might have promised Kasumi she wouldn't beat the tar out of Ranma, but splashing him wouldn't count. So she splashed him with one of the buckets.

He took a breath, placed one bucket down, and readied the other for attack. "If that's how you want to play..."

Akane didn't care if she turned into a boy in the hallway. He pissed her off and all she could think about was breaking her foot in his butt. She got into horse stance with her remaining bucket of water. She dared him with her eyes to follow through with his threat.

And it infuriated her when he backed down and picked up the other bucket, standing once again in his original position. "Whatever. I'm not fighting with a girl if I don't have to."

That stung. But she saw how he handled the girls outside. It shouldn't have surprised her. She held her sole bucket with both hands and leaned against the window sill. "Typical. You refuse to take girls seriously, even when they're giving their all in the fight. Just typical."

"Maybe it doesn't matter who you fight but it looks bad for a guy to duke it out with a girl," he said. "Avoid and evade is the best way to go."

"When a girl fights you, you should respect her as an opponent regardless!" Akane said. "And what was that about anyway? The girls and Kodachi."

"That train wreck told them she'd only allow them to go out with me if they could defeat me and her. We're supposed to be a power couple." He rolled his eyes. "I didn't blame them for trying, but it gets old. Even so, I don't want to hurt them. They're my classmates, not martial artists."

When he put it like that it made sense. It made her skin crawl. She decided to stay quiet.

"Akane Tendo!"

Akane dodged the water that came her way in time and shook her fists. "What's the big idea?!" She realized who had aimed at her and she groaned. "Oh, come on! Couldn't you wait after school?!"

Kodachi's face contorted in rage as she dropped the emptied bucket and pulled out two spiked batons. "Absolutely not! How dare you take my Ranma as your fiancé?!"

Akane and Ranma's faces paled and they tried to shush her, but the window opened behind them and their classmates crowded the window, shouting at them.

"Ranma, you whore!" one of the boys cried. "You already took the girls from us and now you're with the new girl?!"

"How long have you known her, Ranma?!" a girl shouted. "What does she have that I don't?!"

Akane flipped her off. "Hey! It's not like we're engaged by choice!"

"Yeah, it's something our parents cooked up!" Ranma said. "Take it up with them if you're so pissed!"

Their protests didn't reach their ears and they didn't have time for them. Kodachi threw a baton in their direction and Ranma and Akane jumped back. Akane widened her stance and prepared for Kodachi to attack. She charged at Akane with her other baton. Akane moved to the side and broke the head of the baton off before sending Kodachi back with a punt to the stomach.

Kodachi got back on her feet. Her eyes had fire in them. She produced a ribbon and aimed at Akane, who dodged every strike. It didn't take long for Akane to realize they were getting further away from the class and toward the end of the hallway. If Kodachi kept this up, she would have Akane cornered against the window.

Kodachi struck again and Akane grabbed the ribbon and tugged hard. Kodachi stumbled toward Akane but she anticipated Akane's next move. She had Akane's arm in a lock and slammed her down to the ground. Taking advantage of Akane confusion, she towered over Akane and had another baton ready. "Ranma's mine!" She swung her weapon down.

Akane recovered and used her legs to trip Kodachi forward and throw her over her with her hands. The sound of glass breaking made her realize her mistake. "Crap!" She leapt to her feet and jumped out of the window. "I have to save her!"

"What are you doing?!" Ranma shouted.

Akane saw why Ranma screamed at her. There was a pool down below. Even if Akane didn't have the curse, she couldn't swim. She was screwed either way. She waved the thought away. She doubted Kodachi could handle the impact of the water; she had to cushion her fall. She reached for Kodachi, who was in a daze, and held her tight in her arms.

Kodachi came to and fought out of Akane's arms. "Unhand me and fight me properly!"

They hit the water before Akane could say anything. It felt like taking a solid punch to the skull. Akane opened her mouth without meaning to and the water filled her lungs. She saw Kodachi swim to the side. She was okay.

But Akane wouldn't be in a few minutes. She already couldn't swim but as a boy, the muscles in her body pulled her closer to the bottom of the pool. She wasn't going to make it. She fought for leverage until she couldn't anymore and blacked out.

OXOXO

Author's Note: I decided to end the chapter here so it wouldn't be too long.


	3. Chapter 3

Akane One-Half

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or anything related to it. I'm merely having fun with an AU inspired by lineith's drawings and notes on Tumblr.

Author's Note: See previous chapter.

OXOXO

Kodachi emerged from the water and studied her surroundings. She narrowed her eyes at the third story window she fell out of and smirked. "It'll take more than three stories to take me out. Akane Tendo, where are you?!" She looked around and she was nowhere to be seen. Bubbles from the pool caught her attention. Perhaps she was hiding in the water. That coward!

She descended in the water and saw a large, muscular figure at the bottom of the pool. She swam toward the body and turned it over. Blood rushed to her face. Whoever this person was, he wasn't Akane and he was smoking gorgeous! His muscles were just as toned as Ranma's, if not more and he had a sharp jawline. With the way his hair floated around his face, he could've been a model.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and tried to swim up. He was heavy, but she could hold her breath for minutes at a time. She could make this work. She grabbed hold of the ladder and hoisted herself up. Getting this man to the surface was no problem; Pulling him up without the assistance of water was a different story.

Her back and chest hurt by the time she got him on the concrete so she had to lie down to gather some air for herself. She sighed again and leaned over his unconscious body. She held his face with one hand. It would be a waste for him to die here. It was her sacred duty as a woman to revive him. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shouted to the sky, "Ranma, darling! Forgive me!"

She pinched his nose, tilted his head back, and started CPR.

OXOXO

Too many classmates crowded the window so Ranma had to jump out of a different one. He saw Kodachi hovering over Akane's male body as he descended. He rushed over to the pool. He briefly froze at the sight of Kodachi giving Akane mouth to mouth. She coughed up water and turned on her side, groaning.

"Uh, Kodachi? Do you know who that is?"

Kodachi jumped and backed away from Akane, face flushed. "You've got it wrong, Ranma, darling! I'm faithful to you! I was just saving this man!"

"...So you don't know who that is?"

"No. Should I?"

"It doesn't matter." He knelt down and shook Akane's shoulder. "Oy."

Akane sat up and rubbed the back of her head. "Am I dead?"

"No. Thanks to her." Ranma motioned to Kodachi, who stood there with her hands over her chest, still blushing.

Akane blinked. Ranma couldn't blame her. He wondered if she knew she was a boy now. He mentally started counting the seconds.

"Thank...you?" Akane said. She let out an uneasy laugh. "Huh, maybe you're not so bad."

"I had to save you, sir," Kodachi said with an intense stare. "I couldn't let a beautiful man like you drown."

It took everything in Ranma not to laugh at Akane's face. She patted her face and chest and sighed. "I see."

Kodachi switched her attention to Ranma and her expression went from enchanted to mournful. "Ranma, darling, please forgive me!" She ran off with tears in her eyes, shouting over and over for him to forgive her.

"Good grief," Ranma muttered.

"RANMA!" Hinako shouted. She stood at the window with the children now cowering behind her. Her glare could cut him in half.

Ranma chuckled and struck a peace sign. "Hey, Ms. Ninomiya."

"Don't 'hey' me! You're in big trouble and so is Akane! Where is she?!"

"That's a good question!" Ranma said. "But clearly this boy right here is in a state of shock so let me take care of him and I'll find Akane!"

"You have ten minutes to get back here or so help me!"

Yeah, they were screwed. Ranma pulled Akane up to her feet and moved her along. "Yes, ma'am!"

OXOXO

After Ranma found her some hot water, they returned to class and Hinako chewed them out for being reckless. At least she vowed to hunt Kodachi down and report her to her homeroom teacher.

"I swear, just because she's the daughter of that sham of a principal," Hinako muttered. "And don't think this is over; I'll see you two in detention!"

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison.

The rest of the day continued without any incident. They helped with clean up duty and Hinako returned with papers in her arms. She sat down and sighed. "I've cooled down since this morning. Kodachi's always been a handful but for all three of you to jump out of the window like that? I was worried!"

"Sorry," Ranma said.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

Hinako smiled. "I know you're young but you have to be careful. Any more shenanigans and I just might have to use my coin on you."

"Coin?" Akane asked.

Hinako pulled a 500 yen coin out of her pocket and winked at Akane. "It's an heirloom. My grandmother Hinako gave it to me before she passed away. I can use it to suck out people's energy and feed on it. I only use it on bad children."

Akane shivered. Looked like China wasn't the only place with weird magic. "Message received."

"Good." She started working on papers. "So, is it true? That you two are engaged? Aren't you a little young for such commitment?"

"Tell that to our pops," Ranma said, folding his arms.

"It's arranged," Akane added. "I'll die before I marry him."

"Oh, that's how you feel?" Ranma retorted. "Well, who wants to marry a flatboard like you, anyway?"

"You wanna go, you loud mouth?!"

"Bring it, brick chick!"

They rose from their seats and snarled at each other but neither made a move. Hinako's chuckle broke them out of their battle aura. They sat down and crossed their arms, focusing on anything but each other.

"There's plenty of time for you to grow on each other," Hinako said. "But for now, it's clear you don't get along and I'm not going to get any work done if you're in the same room. You can go home."

They grabbed their suitcases and headed for the door.

"Akane, can I speak to you in private?" Hinako bobbed her head for Ranma to close the door behind him. He did as she told him. She patted the end of the desk for Akane to come closer.

"Ma'am?"

"I know it must be hard to deal with an arranged marriage, but do try to get along with Ranma. It's true that he speaks before he thinks, but he's a good kid."

"Maybe when he's around you."

Hinako shook her head. "He's a good kid. You'll see. Be safe on your walk home, okay?"

"...Yes, ma'am."

She bowed to Hinako and made her way to the door. She almost stumbled when her steps grew heavy. It felt like someone wrapped weights around her ankles and wrists. It even took effort to open the door. She looked over her shoulder and caught Hinako slipping her coin into her pocket, who whistled a tune and resumed working on her papers.

She didn't! What was her deal?!

"Hey! You ready to go?" Ranma said. "Nabiki's waiting outside."

"Yeah, yeah; I'm ready!"

"What's your problem?"

"Nothing!" She brushed past him.

"Have a good evening!" Hinako shouted after them in a chipper voice.

Akane didn't know what she was trying to pull, but she'd have to deal with that another time. All she wanted to do was get back to the Saotome household and get started on homework. She rested a hand on the wall and kept pushing. She'd done rigorous training alone and came out worse before. She could deal with this.

"What did she say to you? You look down."

"Nothing important." Akane said, trying her best not to pant. "Just some mumbo jumbo about youth." She paused. "Oh, and you really are a loud mouth."

Ranma let out a disgruntled noise and Akane snickered. Maybe Hinako didn't take as much of her energy as she thought. She tried to keep up with his pace yet she found herself wanting to sit down. If she was alone, she could definitely make it. With him here, she had to front. She didn't understand why that mattered.

"Heh, Mother did say I have Pop's mouth."

Sure, he laughed, but Akane didn't miss the shift of tone in his voice. Maybe she only known him for a few days, but this wasn't like him. Getting loud and defensive, sure, but not this. She felt like the jerk this time. "I'm pulling your leg; she defended you."

He flashed her an annoyed look but raised an eyebrow. "Why are you leaning against the wall?"

She hadn't noticed she had pressed her shoulder against the wall. How about that. "It's nothing. You can leave me and go with Nabiki; I'll find my way back."

"You don't know your way around here yet," Ranma said. "And Mother would kill me if I left you behind."

"Then tell her I'm hanging out with some classmates!" She sighed. "I'm good at retracing my steps."

Ranma narrowed his eyes at her. She glared back. He shook his head and knelt down. "Get on."

"Excuse me?"

"You're too tired to move," he said. "You hold onto our bags and I'll carry you on my back."

"Aren't we far from the house?"

"So? Just shut up and climb on."

Akane's eye twitched. This boy. However, she relented. She grabbed their bags and allowed him to hoist her on his back. He made sure she was secure before making their way outside. He even ignored Nabiki's little quips about their current predicament when they caught up with her.

He was a good kid.

 _Who knows?_ Akane thought. She rested her chin on his shoulder and let out a breath. _Maybe he is._

"Gods, you're heavy."

She stiffened and snarled, "Roll over and die."

OXOXO

The next few days passed without incident. The girls admitted their defeat and tearfully wished Ranma luck on his engagement with Akane. They also praised Akane for being so lucky to win his heart.

Neither felt like arguing with them if it meant peace.

Even Kodachi didn't try to fight Akane. She appeared to be stuck in thought and the few times she noticed Akane, she only stared at her with disdain and blew kisses at Ranma. Whatever. If Akane didn't have to deal with her over a misunderstanding, then she was fine with this development. Judging by Ranma's face, he was fine with it as well.

That peace ended Saturday morning.

Nabiki entered their classroom before class started and left a note on Akane's desk. "Kodachi wanted me to give this to you."

"I thought she was done with me."

"Just read it." Laughter laced her voice.

Akane read it out loud with Ranma peering over her. "To The Chiseled Ponytailed Specimen." Oh dear gods. "Why did she give this to you?"

"Because I'm her vessel of information."

"So you're the one who told her about the engagement!" Ranma exclaimed.

Nabiki shrugged. "She gave me 10,000 yen; 4,000 more than I asked for. How could I refuse?"

"I'm surprised you didn't tell her about the curse..."

"Akane, I'm your sister. What do you take me for?"

Akane ignored her and opened the letter.

 _Dearest Specimen,_

 _Please meet me after school by the football field. I must talk with you._

 _Love,_

 _Kodachi_

 _P.S. Please don't tell Ranma darling._

Akane crumbled the letter and folded her arms.

"Are you going to meet her?" Ranma asked.

"Against my better judgment? Yes."

OXOXO

Akane, in her boy form, waited at the field. Sure enough, Kodachi arrived with a bouquet of black roses in her arms. She stared at Akane with half-lidded eyes and red cheeks. She tossed the bouquet to Akane.

Akane caught it and held it at arm's length.

"Don't worry, dear, it's not laced with poison," Kodachi said. She let out that obnoxious laugh and held a single rose to her lips. "If you were Ranma, that would be a different story."

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"What's this about?" Akane asked.

"When I saved you that day, it almost felt like the day I first laid eyes on dear Ranma," Kodachi said. She held her face. "Love at first sight. You're a beautiful man, and I would love to make you mine but...but my heart belongs to Ranma! I must remain faithful to him!"

 _Am I getting rejected?_ Akane thought. _I don't remember confessing..._

"Your silence tells me that this hurt you and I apologize," Kodachi said. Tears fomed at the corner of her eyes. "Please don't think ill of me, Chiseled Specimen. Forget about me and move on!" She ran off, sobbing loudly. "It's better this way!"

Akane blinked. She found the closest trash bin and dumped the unwanted gift in there, dusting her hands off. She felt a migraine coming. "This place, I swear..."

OXOX

Author's Note: Kuno doesn't strike me as the type to seriously like two people at the same time like her brother. :P I thought her completely misreading their "moment" at the pool would suffice. Her part's over...for now.


	4. Chapter 4

Akane One-Half

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or anything related to it. I'm merely having fun with an AU inspired by lineith's drawings and notes on Tumblr.

Author's Note: I'm not gonna lie, this is where I started to struggle because I wanted to get to the Shampoo arc so badly. Haha. I also had to figure out how to work Dr. Tofu in since I had him and Hinako (well, technically not our Hinako), switch roles to match Ranma and Akane's. Balancing a large cast is another challenge but it wouldn't be fun otherwise. I just hope it shows that I really am trying with the parts I'm less excited about. After all, it's needed to develop the duo's bond, right?

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome.

OXOXO

Takeshi Takeo didn't feel so confident about his doctor visit anymore. Honest to the gods, he trusted Dr. Tofu with his life. But it was hard to keep that confidence when Dr. Tofu's glasses glossed over and he started speaking to Betty the Skeleton like she was an actual person. He was going to leave this clinic more broken than before.

The young assistant, the pretty young woman with the side ponytail draped over her shoulder, entered the room to provide medicine.

Takeshi gulped.

It was her fault. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he did.

He was going to die because of this angel of death.

OXOXO

Akane accepted the water Sayuri offered and thanked her. The girls rested on the bleachers after playing their round of basketball; now it was the boys' turn.

"For someone who trips over her feet on a daily basis, you're good at sports," Yuka teased. "You're the same way with kendo, right?"

"It's kenpo," Akane corrected, "and, yes, I guess you could say that. I would be better if Father took me seriously."

"He's your father; I'm sure he doesn't want to hurt you," Sayuri offered.

Akane shook her head. "As the heir of the Tendo Martial Arts School of Anything-Goes, I need to be the best martial artist I can be. I can't improve if he isn't consistent with me. That's why I have to train myself."

"If it helps, you're doing well." Yuka scooted closer to Akane with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "But I'm curious about something else. How's it going with Ranma?"

Akane almost choked on her water. "Excuse me?"

"You're his fiancée, right?" Sayuri said. "How are close are you now? Do you hold hands? Go out on dates? Hang out? What do you do?"

"We bug the hell out of each other," Akane answered. She took another sip of water. "It's not like we're engaged because we want to be."

"Ranma's not a bad catch, Akane," Yuka said. She winked at her. "I think you're lucky."

"As if." She leaned forward. The game began.

Ranma's team, the red team, had control of the ball. Hiroshi, one of Ranma's best friends, had three boys from the yellow team blocking his way. He kept enough distance to dribble the ball and kept a defensive stance.

"Oy, Hiroshi! Ranma's open!" Daisuke cried. He was Ranma's other best friend. He blockef another yellow player from getting to Hiroshi.

Hiroshi saw an opening between two of his opponents and passed the ball between them. Ranma caught it and made his way across the court. He was too fast for the yellow team. He anticipated all of their movements and dodged them with ease. He wore a smug grin the closer he got to the basket. He would make it, Akane decided. He jumped, aimed, and scored. Daisuke ran over to give him a high five. The celebration didn't last long; the yellow team were ready to retaliate.

And Ranma was more than ready.

 _He's not just talk,_ Akane thought, _but I've been known that._

"Akane, I do believe you are blushing," Sayuri said. She poked Akane's cheek.

Akane felt her cheeks and sputtered, "I-I am not!"

"You're getting redder," Yuka said.

"Because you're embarrassing me!"

"How? What's wrong with having a little crush on your fiancé?"

"It's not like that!" Akane protested. Her face burned.

The red team scored again, thanks to Ranma. This time the two boys huddled toward Ranma and they laughed together. Ranma reveled in the praise, but he didn't just look proud. He looked happy. A happy boy surrounded by friends and enjoying their game.

Akane covered her cheeks. "It's really...not like that."

The game resumed.

Sayuri frowned. "Then why do you sound so s-Woah! Heads up!"

"Huh?" The basketball hit Akane in the face. It stayed glued to her face for a few seconds before peeling off and bouncing down the bleacher. "...Ow."

"Are you okay, Akane?!" Yuka said.

"I'm sorry! I thought I warned you in time!" Sayuri cried.

"It's not your fault," Akane said with a forced laugh. "I didn't pay attention."

Ranma hopped on the first bleacher step and jumped from row to row, making his way up to Akane. She let her head down. "I had something on my mind."

OXOXO

Soun cringed at the sound of another victim...er...patient screaming in pain.

"Mr. Jiro, you looked like you hurt your ankle..." Dr. Tofu's voice had that weird nasal edge.

"YOU DID THIS TO ME, YOU FOOL!"

"Oh, did I?"

"YES! And ma'am, please! For the love of God, let us be!"

"Yes, sir."

Kasumi calmly left the room and closed the door behind her. She tilted her head at Soun. "Daddy, why are you a panda now?"

Soun stopped sweeping the floor and held up a sign, _Entertaining the passing children._

"I see. That's nice." She straightened her skirt and took a seat near the door. She thinned her lips.

Soun put the broom away. _What's wrong?_

"Oh, nothing. I just think the patients don't like me very much," she said. She shrugged. "They call me the angel of death."

 _Give me their names_.

Kasumi chuckled. "It's okay, Daddy. I don't think they're wrong. Dr. Tofu's been acting strange lately and patient after patient told me he's never been like this until I came along. I find his antics amusing, but not if it's hurting the patients."

The door opened. Mr. Jiro hobbled out. He glared at Kasumi. Soun bared his teeth at him and Mr. Jiro hurried out of the clinic. Kasumi giggled. She rested her head on Soun's shoulders.

"I think I'm going to look for another job."

OXOXO

"You sure you're okay?"

"For the last time, YES. Now quit worrying about me; it's freaking me out."

Ranma stopped. "Who says I'm worried about you?!"

"You keep asking so what else can it be?"

They stared each other down as they've always done. Akane hated to admit that, while she wasn't used to Ranma being this fretful, it made her heart beat a little faster than usual. If he was trying to be nice, she supposed she could lighten up. She broke eye contact first. "We can visit Dr. Tofu for medicine. We can check on Kasumi and Father too."

Ranma folded his hands behind the back of his head. He led the way.

Akane gazed at the sky. _I don't like him like that. I don't know if I even like him as a person. And even if I did like him, he likes Ms. Ninomiya._ She dared to sneak a glance at him. _It just wouldn't work._

They arrived at the clinic. As usual, they found Soun sweeping the floor as a panda. He greeted them with a gruff. He did a double take at Akane's face.

Ranma started with, "I'm afraid it was my fau-"

"I wasn't paying attention," Akane said. "I just came for medicine and to say hi."

Soun shot Ranma a suspicious look before going into Dr. Tofu's office. Seconds later, Dr. Tofu greeted them in the hallway. He seemed like himself so that meant one thing: Kasumi wasn't around. Akane didn't dare ask where she was. It would be safe to ask after she got that medicine.

Dr. Tofu led them to one of the other rooms. "You're not seeing double vision? No throbbing headache?"

"No, Dr. Tofu," Akane said. She rubbed her neck. "My neck's a little sore but some herbs might be enough?"

Dr. Tofu examined her neck, pressing against it and gently tilting her head. "Uh huh. Okay, this might hurt a little."

"Oka-Ow!"

He twisted her head one way and snapped it back in the opposite direction. She thought her head was going to snap off! She had to reign in her reflexes; she was so close to decking him it wasn't even funny.

"There, does it still hurt?"

Reluctantly, Akane turned her head. No strains or anything. She rolled her neck for safe measure. No pain whatsoever. "What do you know? I'm better."

"I'm glad." He smiled but his eyes didn't hold the same warmth. "Is there anything else you two needed?"

"No, that's it. We can go home since Kasumi's not-" Akane clammed her hands over her mouth but the damage was already done. His glasses glossed over and his mouth started twitching.

"Way to go, dummy," Ranma said.

"Akane," Dr. Tofu said, voice completely nasal. "You're here about your neck, yes?" He reached to examine her neck.

Oh hell no! She blocked his hands. "I'm good, Doctor. Thank you!" She tossed his hands over and bolted out of the room and ran for the door. Ranma ran after her before he became Dr. Tofu's next victim.

The door slammed into Akane's face, sending her backwards.

"Today is not your day," Ranma said with a hint of laughter in his voice. He leaned to help her up but his smile dropped at the sight of the person at the door. He helped Akane up, but he never took his eyes off the person.

Akane followed his gaze and it was a tall woman with a full figure and brunette hair. She sported a round face and several freckles. If it weren't for the lines under her eyes, Akane would've thought she was in her early twenties. She was still cute though.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Are you okay, dear?"

Truth be told, her head hurt but she might as well fall on a row of stakes if she even thought of going back to Dr. Tofu. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Akane dusted her red shirt. "I've been through worse. I'm sure. I should've saw you coming." She bowed to her.

The woman bowed back and smiled at Ranma. "It's good to see you, Ranma! How have you been?"

He didn't return her smile. "Fine, Ms. Niwa. You?"

"I'm good, thank you. Is Dr. Tofu available."

"I wouldn't go in right now," Ranma said. He bobbed his head in Akane's direction. "This one here mentioned Kasumi and-."

Ms. Niwa's face paled. "I'll come back later."

"Good call. If you'll excuse me, I have to take her home." He grabbed Akane's wrist and led her outside the building. "Bye."

"See you two later."

Akane waved to her and allowed Ranma to lead the way.

OXOXO

"You quit?" Nodoka said. "Did something happen?"

She was making dinner from the ingredients Kasumi got for her from the market while Kasumi worked on making dessert. The smell of strawberries and cake filled the kitchen. They could almost hear Genma's stomach rumbling from outside.

"I realize somehow I'm detrimental to Dr. Tofu's workplace," she said. "I thought it was just part of his character, but apparently he only gets weird when I'm around."

Nodoka didn't have the heart to confirm that. Her family visited Dr. Tofu for over a decade and he had always been level-headed. She pursed her lips and said, "Interesting."

"It's okay," Kasumi said. "I'm going to start looking tomorrow. I'm sure I'll find something."

"As long as it makes you happy, sweetheart."

Kasumi nodded her head and started humming a little tune. Nodoka regarded her future family member. Perhaps she would have a little talk with Dr. Tofu later. Because if she didn't know any better, she'd say Kasumi missed the place already.

OXOXO

Akane studied the hard expression on Ranma's face. How his brows nearly stitched together or how his lips were thinner than paper. Even his grip on her wrist tightened and she knew he wasn't conscious of it so she stomped on his foot.

"What the hell?!"

"You're squeezing me! Let go!"

"Oh." He obliged. "Sorry." He slipped his hands into his pocket and continued walking.

Akane matched his stride. "So what was that about back there?"

"Nothing."

"I don't know, Ranma," Akane said. "It's not like you to be curt with a sensible adult. What did she do to you?"

"She didn't do anything, okay?! Just drop it!"

"Hey, I'm just wondering why you talked to her like that if there's nothing wrong with her."

Ranma stopped walking. "Not that it's any of your business, but she's Ms. Ninomiya's girlfriend."

Oh. Ohhhhhh. Realization quickly gave way to annoyance. "So you're taking it out on her for being with the woman you like?"

"It's not about her!" Ranma exploded.

"Then what IS it about?!"

He huffed. "Have you ever liked someone...but you knew there was no way in hell they'd like you back?"

Akane paused. Truth be told, she didn't have time to form an actual crush on anyone. She felt attractions here and there but they withered as soon as they came. She dedicated her life to martial arts. She grew to love traveling. Who could keep up with her? She shook her head.

"I didn't think so. Consider yourself lucky." He left her where she stood.

Headache aside, she could head back to the Saotome household. Leave him alone to sulk. He didn't need her around. It would be fine. Yet, she followed him.

 _I can't believe I'm about to say this_ , she thought. "It's her loss."

"Who's?"

"Ms. Ninomiya's," Akane said. "I'm sure Ms. Niwa's a good girlfriend but..yeah, it's her loss."

Ranma stopped in front of Akane and leaned down to her eye level, seemingly unaware of the small gap between their faces. She took a step back. "W..what?"

"Are you seriously trying to cheer me up?"

Akane's face burned. "Maybe! You wouldn't stop sulking! Who wants to walk all the way to the house with a moody boy?!"

"Uh huh," Ranma said. He wore a smug look on his face. "So you're not worried about me?"

Akane threw her arms in the air. "Whatever stokes your ego, Ranma. I'm out of here."

Ranma flicked her ear.

"Hey!" She swung at him.

He jumped out of the way. "Too slow!"

"I'll show you slow!" She chased after him.

He made silly faces at her and sprinted, dodging every hit she threw at him.

"Hold still!"

"As if!"

"Why, you-Ah!" Akane slipped on a rock. She tumbled down the hill toward the river.

"Oh crap!" he shouted, running after her.

Akane wasn't worried. She grabbed hold of the edge of the concrete. Most of her body ended up in the water, but she could pull herself out. Ranma rushed to her side and helped her out of the water. He didn't let go until they were both on their feet.

"You're heavy as a girl. But as a boy? Dear gods."

"Shove it."

They paused and started to laugh. Akane couldn't recall why that was so funny to them, but at least he was laughing. She clutched her stomach. Once she stopped laughing, she realized that he was staring at her. "What?"

Ranma shrugged. "I just realized that you're cute when you laugh."

Akane froze. _What?_

Poke. She had gotten her balance, but now she was back on her butt. She grabbed a fistful of grass and threw it at him. "You're a jerk!"

"I know." He stuck his tongue at her before jogging up the hill.

She got up on her feet and caught up with him.

 _I don't like him,_ she thought. _This engagement wasn't our idea. I don't like him._ She stole a glance at him. His shoulders were no longer tense and he still had a trace of a smile on his face as he walked. She looked ahead and closed her eyes. _But it's better when he laughs_.

OXOXO

Nodoka excused herself from the family table. They had finished their dinner and were now watching TV, save for Akane, who left to do her homework in the guest room. Nodoka decided she would give Ranma a gentle reminder to get started on his after she made the phone call. Last person she gazed at before leaving the room was Kasumi, who watched with everyone else but she sighed from time to time. Poor girl.

She found the phone lying on the kitchen counter and dialed the number to Dr. Tofu's clinic.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Tofu, it's Nodoka Saotome. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Saotome; how can I help you? Is everything all right?"

"For the most part," Nodoka said. She paused. "I heard...you're short of an assistant." She waited to see if he would come undone.

"Ah, yes. Yes I am," Dr. Tofu said with an awkward chuckle. "I didn't realize it until Mr. Tendo informed me. It's a shame, really."

Nodoka agreed. "I hate to ask but do you know any other clinics who could use her assistance? You're obviously the best Nerima has but...until you figure out how to deal with your condition around her, I think it's best she works somewhere else."

There was a brief pause. "Dr. Orikasa can use an assistant. I'll give you her number."

Nodoka asked him to wait until she got a pen and paper. After she copied everything down she said, "Excellent. And Dr. Tofu?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

Nodoka smiled. "I'm rooting for you."

"Ma'am?"

"Good night, Dr. Tofu."

"...Good night, Mrs. Saotome."

OXOXO

Author's Note: Filler chapter but if you made it this far, thank you for reading!


End file.
